“The other night, I like the way he fielded run support,” Jones said. “We challenged him with some deep balls and he was
able to play the ball in the air and find the blind spot. He’s an individual who is pushing the older players.”

Senior safety Micah Abernathy singled out Shamburger and Theo Jackson after practice as defensive backs who have impressed
the veterans.

Many expected graduate transfer Shaq Wiggins to come in and contribute in the defensive backfield along with fellow seniors
Justin Martin and Emmanuel Moseley. Wiggins played in eight games last season for Louisville. He recorded 8 tackles and 3
pass breakups.

Unheralded recruit

Shamburger pushing Wiggins for his job might be a little surprising. The 6-foot, 191-pound freshman didn’t come to Knoxville
as the most heralded recruit. He rated as a 3-star prospect out of Moultrie, Ga., and ranked as the No. 111 cornerback in
the Class of 2017, according to the 247Sports composite
rankings.

Shamburger’s surge into a position battle means Jones was serious when he said the best players will play regardless of
age when the season begins against Georgia Tech on Sept. 4 in Atlanta.